LSU’s gymnastics team got a respite from top-level Southeastern Conference competition last weekend. It’s back to business tonight as the No. 11 Tigers (5-3, 2-2) head to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on No. 6 Arkansas (3-3, 2-3). The task of defeating Arkansas should be simple enough for LSU, as the last time the Tigers faced an SEC team was two weekends ago — a victory against then-No. 1 Alabama.In addition, LSU has never lost a dual meet to Arkansas, who started its gymnastics program in 2003. The Tigers’ only loss to Arkansas came in last season’s Super Six, in which the Tigers finished sixth and Arkansas came in fifth.But this matchup between two top-11 teams puts LSU on the road, which has not been too friendly to the Tigers this season.The Tigers’ last road meet was Jan. 29 in Gainesville, Fla., where the Tigers posted a 195.050, their second-lowest score of the season, in a loss to the then-No. 4 Gators. The Tigers’ only other road meet was the Lady Luck Invitational, where the team posted a 195.350, LSU’s third-lowest score of the season.”Going into Florida, we were a bit more nervous because it was our first big away meet, and it was their Pink Meet, so there were a lot of people there,” said LSU senior Sabrina Franceschelli. “But we are a more confident team now, so we aren’t going to look at the past. We need to just keep looking forward.”LSU coach D-D Breaux said she will try to get her gymnasts to rest up heading into the meet, as a few gymnasts have come down with sinus infections.”Our gymnastics is going to be good enough to beat them, but we’re going to have to be rested and do our best gymnastics,” Breaux said.The Tigers will desperately need to get a good road score with only three road meets left in order to boost its Regional Qualifying Score, which determines seeding in NCAA regional matchups.A team’s RQS is calculated by taking a team’s top six scores, of which at least three must be on the road. The highest score of those six is eliminated, leaving five scores. Teams are currently ranked based on total average score in all meets. The RQS rankings will be released for the first time next week.”We have a few good home scores under our belt now, so we need to get those away scores to help our average,” Franceschelli said.In order to get that good road score, LSU senior Susan Jackson said the Tigers will need a total team effort, especially with Franceschelli’s minor leg injury, which kept her out of the all-around lineup last weekend. Although Franceschelli said Monday her leg was feeling better, any minor tweak in warm-ups tonight could leave her out of the all-around lineup.If that is the case, LSU would likely fill her spot with freshman Shelby Prunty, who last weekend competed in three events for the first time this season.”It was awesome that she set up and did three events,” Jackson said. “It all starts with the freshmen. If we have someone in there at the top of the lineup that is as strong as she is, it’s a great setup for the bottom [of the lineup]. I’m proud of her for getting in there.”____Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]